


Doubt

by TVgirll1971



Category: Bones (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29638101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVgirll1971/pseuds/TVgirll1971
Summary: It's been months since Zack confessed to killing Ray Porter and Booth is still looking at the case file. It's an open and shut case but Booth's not buying Zack as a murderer.
Kudos: 4





	Doubt

**Author's Note:**

> Story set during Season 4. Probably the first half.

Booth looked at the case file again. He didn’t know why—the kid confessed. But it didn’t make any sense. He wasn’t a profiler but Booth had been in the Bureau long enough to be a good judge of character. He couldn’t see Zack doing what he said he did. Could he see the kid being suckered into Gormogon’s twisted logic—yeah. But plunging a knife into a man’s chest? Booth couldn’t see it. But the kid *said* he did it. Why confess if it wasn’t true?” Plus, the evidence bore out his story. He did attend that symposium. Once Gormogon had been identified, witnesses confirmed that he was there at the same time as Zack. Plus, they *knew* Zack tampered with the evidence. Bones herself figured that out. So, if it’s true that Zack did meet Gormogon when he said he did, if it’s true that Zack was the inside mole. Why was it so hard to believe he killed Porter?

Booth sighed. He knew the reason. It’s because there’s a big difference between being an informant, tampering with evidence and plunging a knife through a man’s chest. The other crimes were intellectual—hiding information, concealing evidence, even the experiment he tried to doctor with Hodgins. But something physical like cold-blooded murder? Booth just couldn’t see it. However, Zack confessed--so he had to have done it. 

Booth rubbed his eyes. He was going around in circles. The only way to settle this was to go to the source. 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Booth sat across from Zack. He always felt a pang of sadness whenever he visited Zack. The poor kid wasn’t even thirty years old and he was going spend the rest of his life in a mental hospital because he listened to some psycho. Booth took a deep breath and asked what he came there to ask.

“Tell me how you murdered Porter”

“Excuse me?” Zack asked, surprised.

“You heard me. I want to know exactly how you murdered him.”

“You know how. He was stabbed.”

“Yes, but I want details. How did you get to his house? Did he let you in or did you break in? Did he struggle?”

“All of this is in the police report.” 

“I know but I want *you* to tell me.”

“Why is that important?” Zack asked.

Exasperated, Booth replied “It’s important because I’m FBI and I say it’s important.”

“I uh…” Zack proceeded to talk about how he got to Porter and killed him. Booth watched Zack intently—something seemed off. Yes, the confession was very precise, the details correct and specific. The he realized—Zack wasn’t looking at him at all. He was looking at the table as if he was recreating the experience in his head. But he seemed to be simply recounting facts, not a memory.

“Tell me about the actual murder.” Booth interrupted.

“I have been.”

“No,” Booth clarified. “I mean tell me about the actual act. What happened when you plunged the knife in him? Did you hit bone? Did you hit tissue? How long did it take him to die? How much blood was there? Did it get on you? How, where and when did you clean it up? How long were you at the scene?”

“Are these normal questions?” Zack asked.

“It doesn’t matter if they’re normal questions. They’re the questions I’m asking.”

“Well, I, I” Zack stammered, his eyes darting back and forth like he was trying to figure out how to answer. Finally, he stood up abruptly. “I don’t think I like this visit anymore. I want you to go now.”

Booth stared up at Zack. That lingering doubt he’d had earlier—it was bigger now. There is no way this man in front of him committed the crime he confessed to. Which led to another question.

“Okay, But I have one more thing.” Booth began spinning a lie “There’s this case Brennan and I are working on. I think, I think this person confessed to a murder he didn’t commit and, I’m, uh, wondering why someone would do that? Intellectually speaking.”

“Well, there could be any number of reasons.”

“Okay, well what about you? What would make you do it? Like I said, intellectually speaking.”

Zack looked at Booth for several seconds, as if weighing his options. Then he hastily said, “I’m sorry. I can’t help you, Agent Booth. Now, I really must ask you to leave and if you insist on asking me these types of questions in the future, I’m going to have to put you on the no-visitor list.”

Booth sighed. He didn’t want that. Putting his arms up in surrender, he said. “I’m sorry. I won’t ask about this again. I promise.”

Booth stewed on the drive home. He was right—the kid didn’t kill anyone. Yes, he may have been the Master’s Apprentice but he sure as hell did not murder Porter. Then why the hell would he confess? How could someone be so smart and so stupid at the same time? He sighed with sadness. He'll probably never know.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sure this story was written in some form already. I've just starting watching Bones though (just finished Season 4) Anyway, many sites noted that based on Booth's coma dream at the end of Season 4, he must, on some level,know that Zack is innocent. That intrigued me so I wrote this little piece.


End file.
